This article describes how a group of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners were guided through the practice of writing their first academic essays in English. The method applied the principle of scaffolding to the essay writing process by providing flexible support for the learners during the writ- ing their first essays. Scaffolding included a number of aspects, each of which is explained in this paper. The researcher discusses that the approach he adopted promotes learners autonomy by focus- ing on an authentic task, making the requirements of the task explicit, and providing flexible support for the students as they approach the target performance.